


Miss Kitty

by lillullaby



Category: Bandom, Fall Out Boy
Genre: Andy owns a boat, Joe thinks Andy and his boat are cute, M/M, it's a cute boat
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-21
Updated: 2013-12-25
Packaged: 2018-01-05 11:07:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1093168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lillullaby/pseuds/lillullaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"It was just like Andy, this little boat, and Joe immediately fell in love with it."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meeting Miss Kitty

"You...live here..?"  
Andy laughed, smiling a little up at Joe as he fished out the magnetic key card from his pocket. He slided it through, opening it quickly as the gate made a truly obnoxious buzzing, warning them that it was unlocked.  
When Andy had parked in the marina parking lot, Joe had no idea what to expect. But this certainly wasn't it.  
Joe grabs Andy's hand as they stomped down the ramp, the metsl jiggling and creaking under them. They turned right oncr they got to the dock area, where it forked. 

If Joe hadn’t been dating Andy for 5 months now, there would be some very serious squestioning about Joe's well-being. No chance in hell he would follow any random creep onto a fucking dock. That just screamed serial killer. 

As they walked down the cement dock, a few people smiled and waved at Andy, obviously friendly to him. Andy greeted them fondly, and Joe just waved back awkwardly.

They were practically at the end when Andy turned into one of the fingers. On it was a dock step that led to a little boat. Joe's mind went to tug boats, and maybe that's what it was. Joe didn't fucking know anything about boats- and, honestly, never thought he would need to.  
It was fiber glass, with thin blue piping along the sides. Along the hull in script text was the name 'Miss Kitty' a flourish of classic tat roses on either side. It looked well loved, the canvas worn but cared for. There was a line with laundry hanging across the boom- punk shirts and jeans.  
It was just like Andy, this little boat, and Joe immediately fell in love with it.

Joe looks over at his boyfirend to find his eyes watching hm, biting his lip and waiting. Andy was nervous, Joe realized. He was worried that Joe wouldn't like this part of him. 

"She's gorgeous. Give me a tour?" It was the right thing to say, and Andy's smile is so gorgeous. Joe wants to kiss it and save it all for himself.


	2. Ours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joe gets a dock key and promptly freaks out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really loved writing this one.

He gets it while he's at work. 

Joe’s been working at Cobra, this little music store, for years; lessons, stringing, tuning- he’s been playing guitar since he was 12, and is the go-to-guy in the area. He’s there 3 days out of the week, and then has a night job at a weird little dive bar along the harbor. He’s escorting his 10 o’ clock lesson out (Ryan. Nice kid, about 17. He’ll go far, if he practices) when Vicky-T, who works the register, calls him over. Vicky-T is a stone-cold bitch and Joe adores her. She’s been here longer than Joe has, and she knows her shit. 

"That cute boy of yours dropped this off."  
She hands him this little envelope, Joe’s name scrawled over the top of it with Andy’s messy handwriting. He rips into it, until the little blue dock key falls into his hand. Joe just stares at it, wracking his brain if Andy had mentioned working late than night.

"What's that? A gift card?" She grabs it from him, flipping it around between her fingers.

Joe grins at her, "Nah, Andy lives on a boat. This gets you onto the dock."

She raises a perfectly manicured eyebrow, "So... like an apartment key?"  
Joe open his mouth to say it was nothing like that when he realizes- shit. It is exactly like that. Andy basically just gave him a key to his house and fuckfuck Joe has no idea what to do with that information

He’s saved, though, when a man comes in looking for a tuner and Joe practically jumps to help him. He spends the rest of the day like that, the card stuffed into his pocket, feeling as though iy weighs a thousand pounds,as he refuses to think about it. It is probably the most actual work he has done for the shop in at least 3 years. But it gives him a good excuse to ignore Vicky-T’s worried looks.  
He drives out to the marina, finally pulling the key out (and, fuck, has it always felt this heavy?) and his hands shake when he slides to unlock the gate. The nice old woman who lives on the sailboat in #6 waves at him, and Joe hardly has the energy to even smile. By the time he gets on board, his entire body is bouncing, but he slides the lock numbers to '2413' and then- fuck- he's inside of Andy's boat.

Without Andy.

Which, yeah, he had been there alone before when Andy went for a jog or up to the bathroom or to the store. But he had never walked into a dark cabin by himself and suddenly he was terrified.  
Joe flew back out of the cabin like something he was chasing him, crawling off the boat on the opposite side so he could sit on the dock box. He chain smoked and blasted his music, trying not to think. It didn’t work very well. 

Did this mean something? Was Joe supposed to come here whenever now? Was he supposed to call first? Was this just so he could get back in when he went up to shower and wouldn't have to call Andy every time?   
Or worse of all, Was it just for tonight, and Joe was misreading the entire situation? Was he going to return this as soon as Andy got home? 

If this was just an apartment key, Joe could deal. But it wasn’t. This was Andy’s baby. He loved this boat, and it was not only his home but it was all he had. Could andy really trust him with that? A key to a rented apartment, maybe but this?

Joe was was sitting outside, in the god damn wind that was blowing off the goddamn ocean because Andy had a no-smoking-on-the-boat rule. Andy had cause to have that kind of rule. Because he lived on a fucking boat. That alone was territory Joe had no practice in, and had no idea how to even begin thinking about. 

Which is when Andy calls, and Joe promptly panics. What if he picks up and Andy can tell he's on board? What if he wants to talk about it? Joe is NOT ready to have that conversation so he just spazzes and chickens out, hitting deny. 

He's so screwed. 

But there is this little niggling feeling. It's a little bit like hope, but a little more desperate. Joe wants this to be his key. He wants to be able to just walk in and out. He wants to stay here and bring Andy breakfast and make the drive out late without having to wake Andy up. He wants to have that place in Andy's life.

He desperately wants it, in fact.  
But that just make it that much more scary. 

It gets too cold and he picks himself up and walks back inside, hiding the ash tray so it doesn’t blow away.   
Andy come home to Joe sitting at the little table next to the galley, where water for coffee is boiling, key sitting in front of him. Joe’s head whips up as he hears the zipper canvas door slide open. His boyfriend steps down, standing in the entry way, hands clenched together tightly. Andy has a little smile on his face, but he looks mostly guarded.

Fuck, is Andy worried too?

"Honey, I'm home." It sounds more like a question.  
Joe feels himself smile, then a little strangled chuckle comes out. Andy is quick to follow, his bubbly little giggle filling the room. It sounds like bells and home. Soon, they're both standing in the galley. Andy pressed against the counter, giggling stupidly at themselves and kissing eachother hello.

Joe finally pulls back and collects himself when the kettle whistles. He leaves Andy leaning against the galley, but his body still pressed against his side. He pours the boiling water through the drip coffee maker. Wasting time grabbing mugs and organizing them on the counter before turning back around. What he sees, though, is exactly what he was worried about. Andy's lower lip is tuvked back into his mouth. Which is Andyish for ‘worriedworriedworried’

Which means they have to have the conversation. The one Joe has been avoiding even thinking about.   
Shit. Fine. Like ripping off a bandaid, "So the key..."

Andy looks down quickly, then glances it on the table where the card is still resting, "Yeah.."

"Is it.. I mean, do you-" Joe is stuttering, not sure how to ask. He could exaclty just come out and say ‘Hey, can I have you key so I can come whenever I want because I’m madly in love with you and love it here it feels like home?’

"It's yours of you want it." Andy says softly, and Joe panics for a minute, afraid he had said that out loud. But, Andy’s eyes are round and pleading. His hand glides down the wood on the wall of the cabin, absently. "We're both yours, if you want us." 

Joe just grins big, the grip on his heart easing just a little bit. 

"Yes, please."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a computer for this one! How exciting! I'm writing a christmas fic for this verse for the next chapter. :)


	3. Light Parade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dock looks like a gingerbread man barfed on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A holiday fic? Kind of?

Joe’s first thought was that he must have walked on to the wrong dock. Or maybe drove to the wrong marina? Wrong Universe?

Because he turns the corner and is almost blinded by multi colored lights and blow up snowmen- the place looks like a gingerbread man fucking threw up on it, and sure, Joe’s been gone for a week but not _that_ long. 

Joe knew he had really gone crazy when he gets to #24 and comes face to face with Miss Kitty, looking not much better than the rest. There was silver fairy lights around the main cabin and flybridge, and tinsel wrapped around the railings. Snowflakes hung from every available space- and was that actual fucking glitter? Joe was a little stunned, groceries under one arm, seriously considering whether or not he was on a trip. 

“Hi, Babe. Lemme get those.”

Joe nearly jumps out of his skin, too lost in his own head to hear Andy coming. The older man was climbing out, and hoped down the steps to grab the paper bag from Joe’s hands. He pecked Joe’s cheek, then moves to climb back onto the boat and no. No way. Joe grabs at him,

“What?” Joe’s hands flail around a little bit, trying to encompass all of the crazy shit he couldn’t put into words. Andy just stares at him.

“What, What?”

“Why is the dock candy cane fucking lane, dude?” Andy looks at him like he’s crazy- whic, really, is not fair. No way is this on Joe. Because Joe might be new to this whole boat thing, but he was pretty sure this was out of character. 

“The Light Parade’s tomorrow night?”

“The _What?_ ”

Andy giggles at him, pulling on his arm as he climbs back onboard. Joe just follows.  
The inside is not much better than the outside. Subtler, maybe. There is garland of little snowflakes and beads on a string, little snowmen salt shakers on the table, throw pillows, and seriously what the fuck.  
He says as much to Andy.

“Joe, I told you about this weeks ago. The competition? And yacht parade?”  
Joe remembers, but only faintly. What he does remember, though is that it wasn’t fair. Joe was fairly certain that Andy had talked about this, maybe, right after sex a few weeks ago. And really, Joe was never coherent post-coital and Andy knew it.

 

“Why do you think you bought groceries, idiot? Pete and Patrick are coming over, and I think Kevin and Matt across the way are doing a barbeque. Did you seriously forget?” Andy looks more amused than pissed off, so Joe figures he’s safe. 

 

x

 

Ends up the Light Parade is a pretty huge fucking deal. The entire dock is abuzz with it, from the old married couples planning out entrees, to the young guys on the little sailboats working out parking for all their friends. There are lawn chairs and a community potluck and basically, it’s a huge deal.

Susan (a nice old woman with ridiculously red hair who Joe loves a lot) makes a delicious clam chowder in a huge-ass pot which joe helps her carry down to the end, where the tables are. The guys, who are really close friends with Andy and who (thankfully) accepted Joe right away, do in fact make BBQ and Joe is going going to burst from how much food there is. 

Pete and Patrick show up early, both of them having been to the parade the year before. They huddle up under a blanket on the back of Miss Kitty and sip coffee while Andy starts the lights up in anticipation for the judge to come around. Pete hangs mistletoe everywhere onboard, and rags on Andy to kiss Joe every seconds, only stopping to demand kisses from Patrick. 

x

 

The actual Parade is fucking cool. These big ass boats with professional lighting and dancers and shit go by, and then smaller ones with adorable hand made figures and old men dressed up in costumes. Joe sits practically on top of Andy, sharing a seat, as they watch and point out little things about each one.  
At the end, a plane goes by dragging a giant light up Santa and his reindeer.

It’s really fucking nice, actually.

x

Joe is sad when the lights come down- Miss Kitty was one classy lady all dolled up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Light Parades are my favorite. They're usually the second Saturday in December at my old dock, and winning the competition portion was a HUGE fucking deal. 
> 
> This isn't really a Christmas fic, because although a lot of it is Christmassy, I purposefully made Andy's decor just winter and pretty. I feel like he wouldn't buy into the whole Christmas shtick, but would like to participate in the community of it.  
> That, and you know, his boyfriend's Jewish.

**Author's Note:**

> I practically grew up on a boat, so my descriptions are based off my own marina life. 
> 
> My dream is to live on a little tug boat out in the islands with my cat, living simply and deliberately. I feel like Andy would feel very much the same.
> 
> More to come in the series very soon.


End file.
